OBSERVED: One day some friends and myself were out for a drive in Carteret County,NC in the early afternoon, we were on this two-track road called FR-144 outside Havelock,NC when we came around this bend in the road we all saw something very strange, a very large, dark figure walking on two legs toward us about 75 yards away, it was only for a few seconds because whatever this was turned and walked straight into the woods. When we got to the spot we all agreed we thought it went into the woods we stopped but did not see anything. The ground was dry and hard so we did not see any signs of it. I don't think it was human because it was an area that has no farms, homes or anything on it and it is just wilderness, also it was dark from head to toe and it appeared to us that it did not want us to see it.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 - We were just driving

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 2 or 3 in the afternoon

ENVIRONMENT: It was a pretty flat forest

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Kevin Zorc:

While joyriding in the Croatan National Forest, three off-duty Marine Corp Air Station Cherry Point military police officers observed a 6’-7’ brown figure walking towards them on Forest Route 144. The weather was clear and warm, time was mid-afternoon. Moving at 20 mph down the curvy two track road, the MP’s first noticed the bipedal figure when it was 75 yards away; within 3 seconds it turned to the right and entered the thick woods. The form was reported as broad shouldered, hair covered and muscular but not bulky. Its behavior appeared somewhat reclusive to the witness, although it never ran, but rather walked “like a human” away from them. No facial details or other observances were reported due to the short viewing duration and speedy departure of the dark brown figure.

The party quickly drove to the spot where the figure was last seen and did not notice anything unusual. They felt anxious after the sighting but did not feel threatened; however all three were adamant about staying in the car. Consistent with their police training, none of the unarmed MP’s suggested searching for the subject as it was difficult to see more than 50’ into the area where they believed it to be. They waited, sitting in the vehicle for about five minutes, yelling and listening for a response or the sounds of bipedal walking. No foot tracks were detected, and hearing nothing the trio soon left the area. During three years of military police service, the witness never reported the incident and rarely mentioned the event to others. After the witness was discharged from the military, he soon lost contact with the other observers.

At the time of the sighting the witness was working as a law enforcement officer, an occupation reliant on observational skills, courage and readiness. I found him to be a sincere and credible individual who was unable to identify what animal he observed, ultimately describing it as “man-like”. Although thirty-five years have passed since this sighting, he thinks of the event often and recalled important details of his experience for this report.

The Croatan National Forest is one of four National Forests in North Carolina and a true coastal forest in the East. The Croatan National Forest's 160,000 acres consist of pine forests, saltwater estuaries, bogs, several freshwater lakes and raised swamps called pocosins. Bordered on three sides by tidal rivers and the Bogue Sound, the forest is defined by water. Although the witness cannot recall the exact location of his sighting, a modern day aerial view of the general location and features of Forest Route 144 is detailed in the following photo.

This extensive habitat supports a great diversity of wildlife - from deer, black bears and turkeys to wading birds, ospreys and alligators. The federally protected Croatan National Forest is still sufficiently remote and most able to support an extant species of primate. Unexplained incidents in nearby counties verify that Southeast North Carolina has suitable habitat for a diverse species and a rich history of sightings to prove it.

About BFRO Investigator Kevin Zorc:

Kevin Zorc has 32 years of fire service experience in North Carolina and is a certified Firefighter/EMT. He enjoys outdoor activities; backpacking the Appalachian Trail and hiking around the United States. He attended GA 2011(#1), NC 2011 & 2013, Ohio 2012, West Virginia 2012/2013, Michigan UP 2012, California Central Sierra 2013/2014, California 2015 Expeditions and co organized the June 2014 NC Expedition.